My second 1990 318is

This is my second E30 318is. My first one was red and I had owned it for several years, from 135,000km to 290,000km. I sold it and bought a different car but missed the little lightweight 318is enough to sell my new car and buy another 318is.

This is my second E30 318is. My first one was red and I had owned it for several years, from 135,000km to 290,000km. I sold it and bought a different car but missed the little lightweight 318is enough to sell my new car and buy another 318is.

PURCHASE

I purchased this car in September 2004. It is a 4/1990 manufactured 318is in "Laser Blue" and had travelled around 261,500km.

Although the car has well over 270,000km on the clock the engine is remarkably still in excellent condition. I have never had to add any oil between oil changes.

The engine is completely stock. Before I purchased it the previous owner had just replaced the head gasket.

DRIVELINE

I have replaced the differential with one from a much lower mileage 318i. This resulted in a much quieter and smoother driving experience.

The 318is has a heavy dual-mass flywheel but this has now ben replaced with a lighter conventional flywheel from a M40 318i. The M42 flywheel and clutch weigh about 17kg compared to the M40 parts which are a little less than 15kg, so it saves around 2.1kg (12.3%).

SUSPENSION

The car had H&R -30mm springs when I bought it. I have since replaced the dampers with Bilstein Sport units. I also bought a second hand set of Kmac adjustable front strut mounts and these were fitted at the same time as the Bilsteins.

Recently I fitted a second hand Eibach front strut brace.

BODY

The body is standard but I did have the front valence panel repaired and a new lower spoiler lip fitted. I also removed the mud flaps.

The car is a "slicktop" model (no sunroof).

INTERIOR

The original front seats have been replaced with a second hand set of BMW sport seats from a 323i Motorsport.

I replaced the original cracked dashboard with a second hand dash.

The last owner installed several AC Schnitzer accessories including pedals, handbrake knob, door lock knobs and gearknob. I have since removed the handbrake and door lock knobs, replacing them with the originals.

About me

I am a bit of a 3 series fanatic, having owned a couple of E30s and a few E36s, plus a few parts cars. I like the combination of the compact size, good performance and handling, and that they are more sports sedan than an impractical and extrovert sports car. This blog is a place to share my experience and knowledge.